Goals are an integral part of the planning process. Goals provide direction in developing a plan. The process of setting goals can help you and your family (owners and managers) to better understand their priorities. A well thought out set of goals can be the basis for many decisions that are made in a farm succession or business succession plan.

A good analogy to use when thinking of goals and the planning process is that of planning a long driving trip. When planning a trip, most folks use a map to plan their route.

While the modern conveniences of portable GPS devices and internet based mapping programs have certainly simplified the process, many people will still look at a map of some sort when deciding how and where they will travel on a trip. The map can be thought of as the plan. If the trip is to take several days, or there are several sites that the planner wants to visit along the way, there may be several key points that need to be traveled through during the trip. These points can be thought of as the goals in the plan.

By connecting these points (or goals) together, the planner can arrive safely and effectively at the final destination, while accomplishing the desired outcomes for the trip along the way. Just as when planning a road trip you must plan out your trip by connecting a series of points on a map, a farm succession plan must use a route of key decisions and actions to be successful.

“You can't plow a field simply by turning it over in your mind.”

― Gordon B. Hinckley

These decisions and actions must be tied to the goals of the farm business owners, both current and future, in order for the plan to be most successful. If we stick with the roadmap analogy, goals would be those key points along your ‘trip’ that indicate progress or success with the overall goal, or destination where your plan points. The specific set of goals or objectives of your plan will be unique to your family and your farm business, and will determine the route that you will need to take in order to accomplish your specific goals.